Back to School Checklist for Teachers

Four short lists for the weeks before students arrive: your room, paperwork, the first-day plan and families.

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Teacher:First day:Before students arriveDoneYOUR ROOMSeating chart madeName tags and desk labels writtenClass list posted by the doorWelcome sign on the doorDaily schedule postedClass jobs chart readyPAPERWORK AND COPIESFirst-week lessons plannedFirst-day handouts copiedStudent information forms copiedFolder made for each studentTextbooks and devices countedSupply list posted or sentFIRST-DAY PLANFirst-day schedule written outGreeting at the door plannedName game or icebreaker chosenClass rules talk plannedFirst procedures to teach chosenWay home known for every studentFAMILIESWelcome letter sentMeet-the-teacher time setFamily contact list checkedWay to message families chosenVolunteer sign-up sheet readyClass web page updated
Back to school checklist for teachers: room, paperwork, first day, families One page for the weeks before students arrive, in four groups of 6 lines: Your room, Paperwork and copies, First-day plan and Families, each line with a box to tick.
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Next step Print an open house sign-up sheetMake the seating chart

All 6 sheets

Before students arrive 3

  • Back to school checklist for middle and high school teachers For a teacher with several classes: 14 lines, Syllabus written for each course to First-week warm-ups ready, each with a Done box.
  • Back to school checklist for teachers: room, paperwork, first day, families One page for the weeks before students arrive, in four groups of 6 lines: Your room, Paperwork and copies, First-day plan and Families, each line with a box to tick.
  • Back to school copy and prep list, with a How many column 12 things to copy or make before the first day, Welcome letters to Hall passes, each with a How many box and a Done box.

The first day 1

  • First day of school checklist for teachers The day itself in the order it happens: 6 lines for before the bell, 8 for the day with the class and 5 for before students go home.

The first two weeks 1

  • Teacher beginning of the year checklist, the first two weeks For after students arrive: 14 jobs that wait for them, Every procedure taught and practiced to Homework routine explained, each with a Done box and a By when box.

Meet the teacher night 1

  • Meet the teacher night checklist 12 things to set out for a meet-the-teacher or back-to-school night, Sign-in sheet at the door to Thank-you message written for after, each with a Ready box.

How it works

This back to school checklist for teachers covers the stretch between getting a class list and the first bell. Many of its lines need that list: a seating chart, name tags, a folder for each student, a letter home.

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A first day of school checklist for teachers, kept apart

Planning the first day and getting through it are two jobs. The plan is one group of the opening list. The day has a page of its own, in the order it happens, to keep on a clipboard: ticked as you go, it stops the afternoon's steps being lost in the rush.

A teacher beginning of the year checklist for after day one

Some jobs cannot start until students are in the room: forms come back, supplies arrive, procedures need practice. The two-week sheet holds those, so the list from before school can be finished and thrown away.

  • Furniture, walls, supplies and technology have a list of their own, the classroom setup checklist.
  • Count before you copy: the prep list has a box for how many of each handout this year's class needs.

Questions and answers

What is on a teacher checklist for beginning of the year?

Four kinds of job: getting the room ready for this year's class, paperwork and copies, a plan for the first day and a first word to families. Once students arrive a second list takes over, with forms, supplies, logins and class jobs.

What do teachers do on the first day of school?

Mostly teach how the room works: where bags go, the quiet signal, lining up, bathroom breaks and a few rules. Names come first, and how each student gets home is checked before anyone leaves.

Is there a back to school checklist for middle or high school teachers?

Yes. With several classes the work shifts from name tags to a syllabus for each course, class lists and seating charts by period, and rules for late work, hall passes and phones.

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